My Remedy
by RavenCorona
Summary: In her mind appeared the picture of Chat Noir, his sight so familiar and yet, she felt like she saw someone completely new. Someone who, up to this point, she had only judged by prejudice without ever daring to glance behind the cover. A soft smile scurried over her lips as she realized, she wanted to see him again. Marichat/Adrienette
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Miraculous Ladybug._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1**_

The bell's ringing echoed across the schoolyard and the rays of sunlight refracted on the rooftops of Paris. Only a few more meters left to run, then would make it it. Tightly clutching the book bag to her side and holding onto her little pink purse, Marinette ran up the stairs to the imposing school building. The last students scrimmaged around the foyer before moving towards their classrooms. In front of her own class, Marinette came to an almost sliding halt, deflating a little as she exhaled deeply. Her knees bent when she leaned onto them, trying to catch her breath.

Was she too late? The door to her classroom was left ajar and she carefully peeked inside. Voices reached her ears and she noticed that the teacher's desk was still unoccupied. Good, Madame Bustier wasn't there yet then. Her good luck must have saved her after all. Why did an akuma have to appear so early in the morning in the first place, so early in fact, that Marinette had only heard about it because Alya had called her phone while she slept? She had just dreamt so sweetly of the upcoming Spring Ball, seeing herself in a lovely gown made of red silk, held in the strong arms of Adrien, his captivating, emerald-green eyes staring into hers as they both twirled over the dance floor…

A dreamy sigh escaped her and she opened the door to her classroom, the remains of her dream once more sneaking into her memories. The students were already seated at their desks. Way in the back, Rose giggled about something Juleka has whispered to her, Kim and Alix argued over some dares that were supposed to prove who of the two was the best, with the occasional comment of Max in between, and Nathanael, who was devoutly drawing into his sketchbook. For a second, Marinette's gaze hung onto the seat beside Nino in the first row and found it empty to her disappointment. Was Adrien late too?

Lost in thought, Marinette climbed the wooden stairs to her seat to sit beside her friend Alya. "Hey, Marinette", a derisive voice spoke to her from the side. "What happened, did you fall out of bed this morning? Because that's just what you look like." Chloé shot her a nasty grin and snickered, Sabrina besides her joining in, as if the blond girl had just told the best joke ever.

Marinette didn't mind though and just shrugged, before she rested beside Alya, who had just been busy showing Nino her new video of Ladybug. Totally up to date of course, taken just this morning; Marinette knew that first-hand.

"Look, Marinette", Alya exclaimed with an exhilarated smile as she held her cellphone under Marinettes nose. "Isn't she fantastic? See, I even got her signature fist-bump with Chat Noir on tape this time!" As if by command, the two heroes on screen called out "Pound it!" as they bumped their fists, smiling proudly. In the background, the girl who had been possessed by an akuma returned to her real appearance.

With a happy smile, Marinette finished watching the video, even though she knew exactly how everything had happened. She had been there herself after all, in the first row so to speak. "That's really great. Did you already upload it to your blog?"

"Of course! I always keep my blog fresh and up to date." Alya winked and took her time to carefully examine Marinette now. Her excited smile was replaced by a worried expression. "Tell me, did you do some early morning exercise or something? You look pretty rough."

Marinette chuckled nervously as her head hastily looked for some kind of excuse. "Uh, I dozed off again after your call and almost overslept. I had to run to school to be on time."

Alyas fingers went through her long, russet hair, visibly embarrassed. "Guess that's my fault, right? I'm sorry that I called you while you slept, I thought you were already up. But every time I see an akuma or Ladybug, I get all excited and stop thinking."

"It's no problem, really", Marinette replied, waving her hand dismissively. Her hair was still quite the mess after having run so fast, so she loosened the red ribbons that held her pigtails to tie her hair neatly again. "I know how much the blog means to you, it's something very special after all."

Alya shot her an astonished glance. "Do you honestly think so?"

"Of course. No other place has as much info about Ladybug as your blog does", Marinette explained as she finished tying her pigtails. "You're as close to the events as no one else." Sometimes maybe even a bit too close for Marinette's taste.

Alya was flattered and raised a thumb in agreement. "That's exactly what I want to accomplish. Still, reminder to myself; don't wake up your best friend from her well-deserved sleep." The two laughed in amusement. Suddenly the door opened once again and Marinette felt her heart starting to flutter.

There he was, the most handsome, kind and perfect boy in the world. His golden, slightly disheveled hair framed his flawless face, a few strands sticking out. He seemed out of breath, as if he had run. His gaze turned to the teacher's desk and he exhaled in relief. Were those drops of sweat glittering on his forehead, before he wiped them off with the back of his hand? They shimmered like diamonds… How did he manage to constantly look so incredibly handsome? And how his eyes sparkled. Those beautiful green eyes that hid an excited flicker, as if he was really looking forward to something…

"Hello? Earth to Marinette!" Only now did Marinette realize that Alya had flipped her fingers in front her face in an attempt to get her out of her trance.

Startled, Marinette winched. "Who, what, where?"

Alya groaned and slapped her forehead. Meanwhile, Adrien sat down beside Nino and got out his school stuff, clearly in a good mood. "You are so hopeless", Alya sighed and leaned over to Marinette. Her voice lowered, so that the two boys in front of them wouldn't overhear anything. "When were you going to ask your prince charming to go to the Spring Formal with you?"

Completely shocked, Marinette gasped for air, causing both Adrien and Nino to turn around to her, bemused. Promptly her cheeks flashed in bright red and she hectically gesticulated with her hands. "I-It's nothing, Alya just jold me a toke, uh, bolt me a moke-"

Quickly Alya pressed her mouth shut before she completely disgraced herself. "It was about Ladybug, nothing important."

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and smiled while Nino chuckled. "That's fine", Nino said and went back to his chat with Adrien. Chloé and Sabrina laughed again, obviously finding the situation hilarious.

Marinette groaned as she let her head sink to the tabletop, her bangs hiding her flustered face. "Could you please bury me?"

Alya stroked her back in an attempt to comfort her. "Oh, come on, you have been worse."

"That doesn't make anything better", Marinette mumbled vaguely and Alya let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, that's true." Once more she lowered her voice. "Still, you should try! The dance is only in three weeks, who knows when another girl asks him out! Or how many have already asked him."

The image of Adrien dancing with a different girl, staring gently into her eyes and smiling as Marinette stood by idly and sad was unbearable. "But I can't even get out a coherent sentence in front of him without making a total fool of myself…"

"We'll find a solution", Alya soothed her. At this moment the door opened one last time and Madame Bustier entered the classroom, the lesson began. But Marinette didn't pay much attention, her thoughts drifting off to the boy with the golden hair in the seat before her. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but Alya was right. Adrien was so perfect, it wouldn't take long until he had a partner for the dance, if he hadn't already gotten one.

She wrote down the notes absent-mindedly that Madame Bustier wrote on the board, so that she would at least not miss the entire purpose of the lesson. It was really time to act. She was afraid, even terrified… but she wanted to dance with him so badly, that would be a dream. Wait, no, at the moment it was truly nothing more than a dream. What mattered was to make this dream a reality. That was all that was important right now.

But how would she manage to do that? She would have to be very brave. Maybe she should even tell him how she felt… Her cheeks turned a soft shade of red as her mind created the picture of a kindly smiling Adrien, whom she nervously confessed her feelings to. She would look down on her feet, not quite daring to say the words, he would cup her chin and raise it, encouraging her to continue. Gently he would take her hands and whisper that he would gladly accompany her to the dance. He would lean forward, their lips would collide-

The school bell rang and ripped Marinette out of her daydream. She had barely noticed how everyone had started to pack their bags around her. "And don't forget", Madame Bustier called over the rustling of paper and closing zippers. "The Spring formal takes place on Friday night in three weeks. As you know, all Parisian schools are welcome to attend for free, all you have to do is show is your student identification card. So don't forget to purchase some fitting formal attire."

Engaged in keen chatter, the students left the classroom. Adrien just packed his last notes into his bag, Nino waited for him. Should she maybe..?

Just a second later her opportunity was destroyed by none other than Chloé, who came bounding over to Adrien, giggling and with a wide smirk, wrapping her arms around him as if he were a lifesaver. As she chattered about some nonsense about herself, she pulled the boy who was completely thrown off guard with her outside. Marinette just heard how she bragged in front of him how absolutely stunning her gown would be at the ball.

Afflicted, she groaned and dropped her shoulders. Alya handed her friend her school bag and patted her shoulder to cheer her up. "It will be fine. Chloé can talk big, but I doubt that Adrien will really ask her to the ball. Don't let her get you down." Marinette managed a sad nod and followed Alya into break.

The next lessons passed without Marinette getting another chance. Either Adrien quickly disappeared from the classroom with Nino, Chloé kidnapped him again under fake tittering or Marinette panicked so hard that she couldn't get out a single word. He was so close, but every time she actually reached out to him he was gone with the wind. It was exasperating. At least Alya realized how hard Marinette tried to talk to him, or at least showed signs of wanting to try. And Alya stood by Marinette and comforted her.

In the last lesson Marinette had her sketchbook open on her desk and distracted herself from her boy-problem by sketching ball gowns. If she was going to go to the Spring Formal, she definitely wanted to wear her own creation and it was supposed to be something very special. Even if she wasn't going with Adrien she still wanted to look her best. Although most of the time she didn't feel beautiful at all, more boring and plain. She felt especially like an ugly duckling besides Adrien and kept on wondering whether or not she was good enough for him, which was one of the reasons why she hadn't dared to confess her feelings to him yet.

Was she, the boring, clumsy, insecure Marinette, good enough for such a radiant boy? She wasn't so sure… But she shouldn't let that unsettle her! Only that wasn't so easy when she tried.

The pencil drove over paper and gradually, drawings began to form. But none of them she really liked… she wanted to be perfect for Adrien! Just how could she do that? No matter which fabric she picked or what dress shape, if she imagined herself in the gown and placed Adrien beside herself, she still felt dull and plain.

At last she gave up on trying and closed the sketchbook. Alya had noticed that she wasn't feeling so well and pushed a little piece of paper with a note towards her; 'It's alright if you don't manage to speak to him today, I can see that you are not feeling well. Don't stress yourself, you are amazing just the way you are and he will see that too, some day. Have some faith in yourself.'

Just one more try, today. Class ended, everyone packed their things and left. Marinette got to her feet and rallied all of her courage, just as the beautiful blonde boy vanished through the door after his friend. Her heart beat fast in excitement, but she was determined. For once she would be brave and confess her feelings to him! Okay, maybe not yet, but she would ask him out to the ball! And she could do it. She had to believe in herself!

He was talking to Nino, his laughter in her ears made her heart soar. She wanted to hear it more, this laughter… Before she could stop herself, she stood behind him. "A-Adrien?"

Both boys stopped and turned to her, stunned. Nino took a glance at Marinette, then to Adrien, and grinned. "I'll go on ahead, you just come after me." With that, Nino was already gone… and Marinette alone. With Adrien.

Her neck corded up. She wanted to say something, but only managed a squeal.

Adrien tilted his head, blinking in confusion. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-Yeah, sure, of course!", she stammered and swallowed the lump in her throat. She could feel how Tikki inside of her pink purse patted her encouragingly on the side. Go, Marinette, it was now or never!

"I… I just wanted to… t-to ask if…" He waited patiently and smiled at her. Marinette thought she was melting into a puddle, the butterflies soared wildly in her stomach. "…if you m-maybe… maybe wanted to go to the ball… w-with me."

Oh no. Oh no, she had said it. She had said it! Could the ground please just open up and swallow her right now? Probably her face looked like an overripe tomato at this point.

Slowly his glowing smile turned into an expression of grief. He didn't even need to say a word and Marinette already felt her heart sinking. The happiness faded from her gaze, even before he raised his voice. "I'm… I'm sorry, Marinette", he whispered apologetically and lowered his eyes. "But I… I was actually going to ask another girl."

Another girl. Adrien wanted to take another girl to the ball. Marinette could swear she heard the clangor as her heart shattered on the cold stone floor. Adrien loved another girl… She felt her tears welling up, her sight blurring slightly, and she blinked in a hurry, so that he wouldn't see that. She had to be brave… Of course he loved another girl, how else could it have been! Marinette was by far not good enough for him…

Worry and a little bit of fear snuck into his face and he shortly ran his hand over her shoulder. A touch so soft, and yet, it hurt her so much. "I'm so terribly sorry, I-"

"No, no, it's okay! It's fine." Nothing was fine. But Marinette wanted to be brave. She should be happy, surely Adrien's loved one was a truly wonderful girl. "I-I just wanted t-to ask… it's fine."

He didn't seem convinced, but he tried a comforting smile and nodded slightly. "If you say so. Listen, I-" Outside, the two could make out a loud honking and Adrien sighed. "That's my driver, I have a photoshoot soon. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Y-Yeah, sure… see you tomorrow…" Her voice sounded much more brittle than usual. Her dream of the beautiful love confession shattered into a thousand pieces, the kiss nothing more than a daydream. Adrien turned around, waved as goodbye and then he was gone. And she… she stayed behind, alone. With nothing left but her shards of dreams and the tears streaming down her cheeks.

* * *

Chat Noir jumped over the rooftops of his city as the evening had heralded and the sky was tinted a romantic gold with a hint of purple. The excitement tickled inside his whole body and his jumps were far higher than usual, the wind whirling threw his hair as he howled agitatedly.

He had prepared for this day for so long and he knew exactly how he would do everything. No more hiding, no more fear, only the honest truth. He would tell her the truth about his feelings. That he loved her.

I love you, Ladybug. With all my heart.

Though, there was one thing clouding his good mood. Sweet Marinette, who had asked him if he would accompany her to the ball… she had seemed so sad, as if he had punched her right in the stomach. Somehow, he would make it up to her. Maybe when he saw her at the ball, he would ask her to a dance as an apology. He felt pretty bad for having just left her behind and he wanted to make her happy.

But now it was time to make his dream a reality. Ladybug in his arms, her bluebell eyes shimmering as they both twirled across the dance floor at the Spring Formal… he was a hopeless romantic and Plagg missed no moment to banter him with that. But he couldn't help it, the red clad heroine just turned his head.

He came ever closer to the Eiffel Tower, the most beautiful place in Paris. The tower of lovers, so to speak. Up there he would meet her tonight, just before their patrol would begin. Chat smiled widely and landed on a tiled roof, hopped up to the stone chimney and held onto it. Slowly he raised the enchanting, red rose in his hand to his nose. Red suited Ladybug, the color of the passion that he loved her with.

Hopefully she said yes. Even with all the self-confidence that he gained from wearing the mask and black leather suit, he still felt an uncomfortable fear in his stomach. The fear of rejection. Ladybug was so wonderful, so brave and heroic. Sometimes she seemed unreachable to him, like a goddess soaring in the sky, her mighty wings unfolded, while he was nothing more than a mere mortal looking up to her mesmerizing beauty and courage and wishing he could be by her side.

As Chat he could be whatever he wanted to be. Free, nonchalant and capable of doing anything he wanted, no longer squished into the shell that was Adrien Agreste, the show puppet of his father. And he could be with her, with his Ladybug. As Chat Noir, he was infinitely happy.

If only she could love him as he loved her, then everything would be perfect.

It wasn't that far to get to his destination now and he wouldn't want to keep his Lady waiting. He vaulted over streetlamps and waved impishly at a few pedestrians, who stared at him with wide eyes and quickly took pictures with their cellphones. At the foot of the Eiffel Tower he put the rose between his teeth, so it wouldn't be damaged, and started climbing. They would meet up all the way at the top, he had already put together the perfect words to say to her, practiced in front of the mirror for weeks by now. He would not fail this.

Soon he had reached the top of the tower, the excitement and anticipation having almost quickened him. And there she sat, her jet-black hair tied into two adorable pigtails that blew in the wind. She sat at the edge of the platform and stared into the distance, her back turned to him, dangling her legs. For a moment he stood still and just watched her, enjoying the pure sight of her. The perfect girl, so pure and selfless. Never would he want anyone else but her. His heart belonged to Ladybug alone.

"My Lady", he greeted her. Carefully he held the rose hidden behind his back, wanting to pull it out as a surprise. He came closer, but she didn't react. It was a little odd to him for her to be so motionless, for it was usually more like her to jump up instantly and pull him along with her to begin the patrol as soon as possible. He had even thought up what he would say to her when she did exactly that, to stop her.

But tonight, it seemed like she wasn't that anxious to start the patrol. "Are you alright? You're so quiet."

"Leave me alone." That was everything she said, but it still hurt. Did he do something wrong? In a hurry he went through the events of his last meeting with her… no, everything should be fine. Just this morning in the battle against the akuma she had seemed sassy and at ease like always. Maybe there was something in her private life that bothered her?

Even though her abrasive words unsettled him, he pulled himself together and came closer, sitting down beside her. She turned her head away from him and he frowned sadly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing", she replied, but he knew that something was off. Something he didn't know and shouldn't know. But how could he help his sad Lady, if they were both separated from each other through their masks? He felt like they were parted from one another through a glass window, able to see and talk to her, but unable to ever really touch her.

Maybe it would make her happy if he asked her out to the ball. Of course only if she didn't already have a date, which was definitely a possibility. As wonderful and stunning as she was, he would not be surprised. She had never mentioned having a boyfriend though and it didn't seem to him like she did, but he had to know for sure.

Was this even the right time, now that she was so afflicted? Come on, now or never. He would show her that she wasn't alone, that there was someone out there who loved her just the way she was. Who wanted to know her better, the girl behind the mask.

"Ladybug?", Chat whispered. Suddenly she got up, as if his voice had torn her out of a deep sleep, standing upright, but he could swear her eyes were reddened. Had she cried? Or was that just the light of the evening sky reflecting in her eyes that played tricks on his mind?

"We should go, or we won't be able to cover the entire city in time", she muttered absent-mindedly and got out her yoyo to swing away. He had to act now.

A black clad hand grabbed her wrist and she turned to him in surprise. "Wait! Just one moment."

He knelt before her, holding her hand gently and kissing its back. As expected she rolled her eyes, but not in amusement like usually, but with an annoyed groan. "Chat, this really is not the right time for-"

"This is the purrfect time", he purred and she hit her forehead in irritation. Still he pulled out the red rose and held it up to her. "My Lady… you are the brightest star in Paris and each second I spend with you makes me eternally happy. Would you-"

"Stop it, Chat." The sternness in her voice caused him to stop and he realized the nearly burning anger in her gaze. What was wrong, did he say something that had upset her? "Just stop it. It's really not funny."

"W-What?" Befuddled he got up on his feet and carefully held the rose to his chest, the claws on his fingers gently caressing the petals. "What is not funny?"

"This! All of this!" Gesticulating wildly, Ladybug pointed at him. "You really think this is a game?", she shouted. "That you can just flirt with every girl that falls before your feet?"

Chat was at a loss of words. He just stood there, his mouth open in horror. Desperately he tried to somehow understand how she could get such an idea. Did she really think he would just flirt with any girl that somehow got close to him? "But… my Lady-"

"I don't want to hear this now. You go your route, you know the way. If there are any problems, call me." Her words were so cold and harsh. And just a moment later she was gone. Maybe she didn't even take him seriously, since she thought his feelings were just a game… His dream shattered and the rose slipped from his fingers, falling onto the metal platform below. The pain ate away at his heart, breaking him in two.

Slowly he sank to the ground and buried his face in his knees, allowing the sadness to overwhelm him, at least for a few minutes. He had a task, a duty. Maybe that would distract him from the pain inside.

The stars stood high in the sky as Ladybug swung back into her room and became Marinette after a bright flash of pink light. Tikki flew beside her, gazing at her in worry. "Marinette? You look so angry."

"How could he?" Marinette ruffled her hair in frustration and closed the window behind her, climbed up to her bed and let herself fall backwards onto the mattress. Blankly she stared at the ceiling in annoyance, her eyes tracing the frame of the trapdoor above. "He's got nerves to come with his stupid flirting, today of all days! That seriously was the most inappropriate time in history for such silliness! And the rose, I mean, honestly! No one would buy that." She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly, grumbling something under her breath.

Tikki flew over to her and rested on her shoulder, eyeing Marinette. "He didn't know that you have been rejected and were sad today. You shouldn't have taken your feelings out on him."

Marinette frowned slightly, feelings of guilt crawling up inside of her. She sighed dejected. "Maybe you're right… I was really mean to him. He didn't deserve that. But still, what was that rose about?"

"Maybe he meant it", Tikki offered.

Marinette just rolled her eyes at that. "Oh please, as if Chat Noir has ever meant any of his flirting seriously. You don't even believe that yourself."

That moment, she heard a loud noise outside, on the roof above her head. Marinette rose and lifted her jacket, allowing Tikki to hide underneath. There, another sound, that certainly came from her balcony. Careful not to be too loud herself, she got out of bed and opened the trap door, peeking outside.

The darkness of night embraced her, this time as Marinette, and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust. The moon shone in a silvery light and the stars glimmered, but neither brought her any real joy. She turned her head, searching for the source of the odd noise, at first not seeing anything. Until she was able to make out a figure on the balustrade of her balcony, clad in black. If it weren't for the blonde, disheveled hair, she would have easily missed the familiar silhouette.

Was that…? Marinette climbed out of her room and inched closer, soon she could make out quiet noises coming from him. It sounded like he was sniffling.

"Chat Noir?" The hero turned his head to her, the green eyes behind the mask staring at her, grief hidden within. In one hand he held the red rose from just a few hours ago. With the other, he slowly plucked the petals from the flower and let them drop into the depths beyond the balcony, red spots in the shadows, falling to the ground below.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _This is the start of a story inspired by a sweet little comic by Spatziline. I don't know, I just saw these pictures and this story idea came into my head and I just had to write it xD I'm Ladybug trash and I know it._

 _Since I'm German, I have to write the chapters in German first and then translate them into English, because it's easier for me than to just write them straight in English. It will take me longer to update because of this though and I hope you understand. I'll try to keep the updates frequent, but it depends on how well this story is recieved._

 _Hope you enjoyed chapter 1 :D See you next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Never before had Marinette seen such a sad expression in the emerald-green cat eyes. Usually they always shimmered or twinkled mischievously when he flirted with Ladybug. But now, he almost seemed fragile and vulnerable. The sight melted her anger and guilt bubbled up inside her, holding on and no longer letting her go.

It wasn't his fault that Adrien had another girl, one that was better than Marinette. One who got all his love while she stood at the side empty-handed. It wasn't his fault, even if his behavior had been inconsiderate.

A moment later, he suddenly was the old Chat Noir again. His cheeky grin returned to his face and he tilted his head, raising one foot onto the balustrade and resting an arm on his knee, seemingly relaxed. His black belt rose up like a real cat tail. Sometimes Marinette wondered if it had a mind of its own. "Good evening, Purr-incess. I sure hope I didn't wake you?"

Had that just been her imagination, the grief in his eyes? No, she was sure she had seen it. As she came closer she noticed that he tried to hide the torn rose behind his back. Totally Chat Noir, always trying his best to seem calm and easygoing. "You haven't, no. I just heard noises up here and thought I should investigate." Nothing was left of her past rage, which was a relief for her. She crossed her arms and examined him with a skeptical gaze. "What are you doing on my balcony at this late hour?"

He went quiet for a few seconds, searching for the right answer. After all, he wasn't so sure himself why he had come here. The sorrow of his rejection from Ladybug had followed him all through his nightly patrol and neither the wind in his blond hair nor the adrenalin in his veins had been able to really distract him. It was late at night, but he hadn't wanted to go home. Not yet, while he felt so hurt.

Maybe he had come here because he had hoped to see Marinette, to talk to her for just a bit. Was it selfish, now that he had been rejected, to seek the closeness of the girl who had just asked him this afternoon to be closer to him as well? Perhaps it was a little hypocritical. But she didn't know… and that was for the better. He didn't have to hurt her a second time.

"Well, I…" He opened his mouth to say something and closed it again. There was no explanation he could give, at least none that he could say out loud. Or wanted to say. He wasn't quite sure yet how he should handle Ladybug's abrasive words. She didn't take him seriously, thought his flirtatious attempts were just a game… His eyes shut and his hand gripped the stem of the rose tighter. A little cracking noise was heard as the rose broke in half.

He swiftly glanced at the two destroyed pieces. What had become of his dream? Why had he dared to dream in the first place?

"I'm not sure", he admitted at last. "I've met you before, you surely remember, the Evillustrator incident… well…" As he felt her gaze in his back, he sighed and shook his head. Once more he turned to face her and faked a smile. "It's fine. I should go."

He truly tried everything to appear as if nothing in the world was wrong. But she couldn't help but notice the small, almost invisible signs that something was off. His black cat ears were lowered, the fingers holding the cracked rose shook slightly and his wide smirk never reached his eyes.

She had clearly been too harsh on him and had hurt his feelings. That wasn't what she had wanted…

"No, wait." He had already extended his baton into a staff and prepared to jump away, but she stretched out a hand towards him to get his attention. "You… you can stay for a while, if you want."

He blinked in surprise and stopped, obviously unsure if she meant it. "Really?"

Actually she wasn't sure, but she couldn't send him away. Not now that he was clearly hurt. And there was something else she saw in those eyes behind the mask, something that she hadn't expected, not from him. Loneliness.

Maybe he was here because he didn't know who else to talk to.

Marinette walked over to the trap door and opened it, the light in her room emitting a golden ray into the darkness. She invitingly showed him to the trap door and smiled the most beautiful smile she could muster. "Yeah, sure. Come in."

Chat's sudden surge of happiness was almost overwhelming. His pupils were widened joyfully and he crouched upright on the balustrade, presenting the dorkiest, most gleeful smile ever. Even his cat ears perked up. Marinette hadn't known that his costume reacted to his emotions and deep inside she had to admit, it was kind of adorable. He really was like a large kitten.

"Thank you, that's real nice of you", he said almost reluctantly as he came over to her, his smile a bit flustered. Nervously he went through his disheveled hair before he strolled past her to climb down the trap door.

As he stretched out his hand to hold onto the entrance, Marinette wrinkled her forehead. "Chat? Where's the rose?"

As if caught, he looked up at her and quickly put on a clueless grin. "What rose?"

"Well, the-" But he had already jumped through the trap door into her room. "-red one."

Had he dropped the flower? Her gaze darted across the balcony, but found no sign of the broken blossom. And he hadn't put it in his pocket either…

Slowly she went over to the balustrade and peeked down into the dark of night. Had he dropped it?

"Marinette?" Chats head curiously looked out of the trap door, as he wanted to see what was taking her so long.

Marinette winced and smiled at him. "Sorry, I'm coming."

The first thing that greeted him as Chat entered Marinettes room was pink. A lot of pink. Her walls were pink, the chaise beside the stairs too, the covers dotted white with some fluffy pillows on top. On his right a white desk, a round carpet underneath, a computer and her sowing machine. He knew of course that she had a love for fashion and designing and that she could sow, she had made that derby hat for the contest at school. Too bad it was decorated with feathers, it was a really nice derby. Stupid allergy.

He had been in here before, practicing Mecha Strike III with Marinette before the "Gamer" had attacked, as the akuma had called himself that had possessed their fellow classmate Max. Now being here once again filled Chat Noir with joy. This place might be very pink, but it was personal. Every inch of the room was decorated with love, unlike his own cold room back at the mansion. He had everything in there that a teenager could possibly wish for, but barely anything in it felt just halfway like it was there because of his decision and not because his father had said so, which made even his own bedroom feel distanced and cold. Marinette's room though… it felt like home. Not his home, unfortunately.

As he looked around to hide that he had already seen her room before, Marinette came after him, carefully glancing over at his face. How glad he seemed to be all of a sudden. As if the pure invitation to come inside made him endlessly happy. Who was he… Wait, stop! She shouldn't even be thinking about that!

It was a good thing after all that she had put down all the posters of Adrien this afternoon. Not that she had known or expected Chat Noir to come waltzing into her little realm, but after all the pain of the rejection she hadn't been able to bear Adrien's beautiful smile and the radiant, green eyes all over her bedroom walls. For now, the posters were properly stored in a little box on her desk. She would put them back up again soon. Maybe tomorrow already… but for now, she had needed some time off from Adrien. Even the wallpaper of her desktop was switched out to a nice picture of the Eiffel Tower at night. Everything to get her mind off of the thoughts that painfully tried to squish themselves into her head.

 _Adrien loves another girl… you aren't good enough for him… he could never love you…_

"Princess?" Her nickname tore her out of the whirlpool of bad feelings that she had threatened to fall into. Quickly she looked around and found Chat standing in front of her desk, bending over her open sketchbook containing all her drawings and designs. Dresses that she had imagined and sowed for herself and costumes, so intricate and expensive they would never become reality. The newest drawings were of course the sketches of her ideas for her ball gown she would wear to the Spring Formal. Though now, she wasn't quite sure anymore if she even wanted to attend the ball. Adrien would dance with some other girl…

"What are you doing?", she asked and ran over, wanting to close the sketchbook in shame. Surely he thought her drawings were awful and would only laugh at them. But before she could reach the book he snatched it away, holding it in his arm and gently thumbed through, his eyes glued to the pages. "Chat, give that back to me", she desperately groaned, but he didn't listen.

Instead, his expression filled with awe. "These are… wow. These are really fantastic."

Wait, what? What had he just said? Marinette thought she hadn't heard him clearly, but his face showed no sign of lie or mockery. Only amazement and… admiration?

Chat stared at the sketches, barely believing his eyes. Breathtaking costumes and gowns that could partly even come close to the fashion of well-known designers, all well hidden inside an innocent sketchbook of a high school student. Most of the clothes in this book he liked far more than what he had to wear for fashion shows. It was clear how much thought Marinette put into each design, with small noted scribbled beside each drawing, notes about possible fabrics, color palettes, drapery and what to remember when sowing.

"Those are just rough sketches", Marinette protested weakly and tried once more to get her book back.

But Chat Noir was stubborn; he evaded her grasping hands and kept on turning pages, his eyes glowing in excitement. "Princess, those are more than just rough sketches. These designs are incredible! You are amazingly talented!"

Marinette stared at him in astonishment, a faint blush covering her cheeks. She could hardly hide her flustered smile as she avoided his gaze. "What do you know about fashion, Chat?", she giggled, flattered by his unexpected compliments.

Dramatically he took a sharp breath and put a hand over his heart, pouting. "You wound me, princess. Even a cat like me knows how to look _meow_ velous." He winked.

She rolled her eyes but smirked in amusement. Typical Chat. But he was right, she couldn't know how much he truly knew about fashion. In fact, she didn't know anything about him at all. Maybe he was always well dressed in his civil life… an odd picture, she thought. Marinette had actually imagined Chat more to be the guy who wore baggy pants, a t-shirt and a baseball cap the wrong way around, always boasting smugly and maybe driving a skateboard. Now she couldn't help but wonder if he was joking about his knowledge of fashion or if he really meant it. He sure was full of surprises.

Meanwhile, Chat was absorbed into the drawings again and at some point reached the designs for the Spring Formal. It was admirable, he thought, how much work and love she put into all of this. Carefully his finger traced the outline of an enchanting dress in lilac. "You'll attend the Spring Formal?", he asked quietly, even though he knew the answer.

Her eyes went wide. "How do you know that?"

He held the book in front of her and pointed at the heading above the first of the ball gowns; Spring Formal, possible designs. Marinette giggled, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, of course, that's logical. Sorry."

"No need to be", Chat replied and quickly looked through the last sketches, before he put the book back onto the desk with caution, like it was something holy he didn't want to damage. "Believe me, these drawings are amazing. You don't need to belittle yourself like that. Designing and sowing your own dress makes it into something truly unique, especially when so much talent is put into your work."

Hearing these words from him… Marinette felt her heart warming, she could hardly believe her ears. This was completely unlike anything she knew about him, so… kind and reassuring. The honesty in his voice sent a shiver along her spine and she couldn't help but be silently thankful. He didn't taunt her or laughed at her hard work, no. He genuinely praised her. He praised her for something Marinette had done, not Ladybug.

Only one thing smothered her cheerful mood and she averted her gaze, her head lowered. "Chat, I… I'm not even sure if I want to go to the Spring Formal anymore."

This small confession felt like a sting in his back. Was that his fault? This question crawled up inside him and bit itself painfully into his unconsciousness. No, it couldn't be. As if she would miss one of the most beautiful festivals of the year just because boring Adrien Agreste had rejected her.

She had to go, she just had to. Especially if she was going to wear one of those fantastic gowns.

Chat pulled himself together and put a hand on her shoulder. She winced under his touch and faced him reluctantly, meeting his encouraging smile. "I think you should go." Marinette raised an eyebrow skeptically, but he hurriedly shook his head. "No, honestly, I mean it! Your friends are surely going too, aren't they? And anyways, someone with such amazing talent should show that. You have a passion, Marinette, I can see that. Everyone could, if you'd just show them. You don't have to be afraid of proving your talent to the world."

She stared up at him in disbelief and heavily swallowed. Her eyebrows furrowed anxiously. "But… I can't do it."

Chat tilted his head, one of his cat ears lowering in curiosity. "What can't you do?"

"Design a perfect dress." Slowly she pushed his hand off her shoulder and reopened her sketchbook, looking through the pages. He could feel her distress as she raised her voice again. "I don't know why, but… no matter what I design, I… I just can't get it right. Something is always… wrong." She stammered, searching for the appropriate words. "Either the colors don't fit or the skirt is too tight or too wide or I can't think of fitting fabric or the design is too inept or boring or-"

A black clad finger on her lips stopped her rambling speech. Chat Noir smiled at her softly, almost looking a little afflicted. "Princess, I think your problem isn't that you're not good enough. It's that you are too harsh on yourself."

She stared at him blankly, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the sketchbook. "But- but look at them! These are all so… so, well, just plain. Nothing grand or gorgeous. Just not perfect."

Chat could only smile benignly at her remark. "You know… I think they are all gorgeous and grand. And… something like perfection doesn't exist anyways. It's nothing more than useless pressure that people put on themselves because they think they aren't good enough." Something shifted in his gaze, becoming sad and wistful, though he soon hid it again. He could sing a lullaby about the lie of perfection, him in particular. As Adrien, he had to deal with that every day.

He couldn't quite tell if she believed him or not, he only found her bluebell eyes filled with wonder. And he didn't get a chance to ask, since his ring started beeping, indicating his transformation was about to run out. With a sigh, he watched as the neon-green symbol lost one of it's paws. "That's my cue. I got to go, even if I had loved to spend more time with you, dear princess." Before he turned to the window, he grabbed her hand and placed a chivalric kiss on it.

Marinette could only stare at the cat hero in bewilderment. Who was this boy in black leather standing in her room, spreading a familiar Cheshire grin? Chat Noir was never this consoling. Before she could even grasp on what she was doing, she was by his side, holding onto his shoulder to stop him from leaving. "Chat?" The chilly breeze of night seeped into her bedroom after he had opened the window, but she didn't mind the cold. "Would you… would you maybe want to come back some time?"

Now it was his turn to be stunned. Doubt and joy mixed in his intoxicating green eyes. "Y-You really mean that?"

For a second she found herself lost in those emerald orbs, before she blinked to regain her senses. "Of course!", she answered almost too quickly, taken aback at how honest she was. "I mean, if you want to. You don't have to if you don't want to, I won't force you, I mean-" Kill me, Marinette silently begged, shutting her mouth to stop herself from babbling even more nonsense. What was she doing, since when did she want Chat Noir to come to her house?!

He chuckled a little, amused by her rambling, but he happily obliged and nodded. "I'd be glad to come back." Another beep from his ring. He really had to go now. As he climbed onto the windowsill, he saluted with two fingers. "I'll see you soon. Sweet dreams, princess." And with that, he melted into the darkness, leaving Marinette behind.

For a few more seconds she stood in front of the open window before she took a deep breath, her chest shaking a little. It was hard to tell for her why she felt excited. All of this was incredibly absurd. First she had been rejected by Adrien and now, Chat Noir showed her a whole new side of himself…

Her window snapped shut and she closed the blinds. Only now did Tikki dare to peek out of Marinette's jacket. "Well, that sure was interesting. Is everything alright, Marinette? You seem so… absent."

Quietly sighing, Marinette shook her head. "I have no idea, Tikki… Today was a really… weird day."

For a moment she considered going to bed, but there was one little thing still bothering her. She went to the bedroom door and put her shoes on as Tikki flew around her head, shooting her a confused glance. "What are you doing?"

"I just want to check something, it won't take long."

As quietly as possible so she wouldn't wake her parents up, Marinette snuck downstairs, leaving her house through the side entrance. The nightly air was somewhat refreshing, not as uncomfortable as expected, and the silence was a pleasure to her ears as she walked around her house until she stood right under her balcony. She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight app, sending a bright light from the back of her phone towards the ground.

Just as she had expected. Red rose petals everywhere, scattered outside of the bakery, the torn remains of Chat's flower that he had wanted to give to Ladybug. Even the broken rose stem was among the deplorable blossom petals.

Tikki glanced out of Marinette's jacket and sighed. "Oh, Marinette. Are you feeling guilty now?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know… maybe? I didn't know he could be so… caring and considerate." She kneeled down and picked up the petals from the ground, red drops of broken love. At last she grabbed the stem and carried everything inside. No one had noticed her leave or enter.

Back in her room she spread the blossom on her desk, then went to fetch some paper tissues and heavy books. With great care, she placed the red petals as well as the stem between the tissues, placing the books on top. Why she did this, she had no idea, but the thought of Chat's present just being swept away and forgotten was one she didn't like. She still wasn't sure why he had wanted to give a rose to Ladybug or why he had denied the flower's existence in the end. But this flower had meant something to him and thus, she wanted to preserve it.

One last time, she glanced at the pile of books on her desk. Tomorrow night the flower should be fully compressed. Tikki sat on her shoulder with a touched look on her tiny face. "That's really sweet of you to keep the flower after all, even if it's torn."

Marinette's lips twitched as she climbed the stairs to her bed and sank into the pillows. "Tikki? Do you think I misjudged him?"

The little kwami raised her shoulders. "I guess we'll find out soon."

Slowly Marinette nodded, rolled to one side and grabbed her cat pillow, hugging it tightly to her chest. In her mind appeared the picture of Chat Noir, his sight so familiar and yet, she felt like she saw someone completely new. Someone who, up to this point, she had only judged by prejudice without ever daring to glance behind the cover. A soft smile scurried over her lips as she realized, she wanted to see him again. Very soon.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_

 _Well, that took me longer than expected. Sorry... I hope I can get the next chapter done faster.  
_

 _Thank you very much for your kind reviews and for following and favoriting this story, it makes me really happy to see people enjoying what I'm writing._

See you soon :3


End file.
